Georgia bills restricting DEI policies, explicit library materials failed, but lawmaker determined to pass in 2026

Georgia State Sen. Max Burns, R-Sylvania, on the Senate floor during the first legislative day at the State Capitol on Monday, January 13, 2025. (Matthew Pearson/WABE)

Though Georgia state lawmakers this year passed many of their big-ticket items, some highly contested bills failed to advance during the 2025 Georgia legislative session.

Two of those include a bill that mirrors the Trump administration’s crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion in education and a bill that would have removed legal exceptions for librarians in a law that criminalizes the distribution of explicit materials to minors.

However, a state lawmaker behind the push for both bills says he wants to keep pursuing this legislation next year.